Biography

A former member of the International Opera Studio at Zürich Opera and of the Salzburger Festspiele’s Young Artist Project, Estonian mezzo-soprano Dara Savinova has rapidly raised her international profile in recent seasons. She is praised for her brilliant mezzo-coloraturas, enchanting stage presence and meticulous diction.

Upcoming and recent engagements include Irene in Handel’s Tamerlano for International Händel-Festspiele Göttingen, Bach’s B minor Mass for the Montreal Bach Festival, Juno in Handel’s Semele under George Petrou for International Händel-Festspiele Göttingen/Olympia Theatre Maria Callas in Athens, and a return to the Royal Swedish Opera to sing Rosina in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia. 

Other roles in recent seasons included St. Matthew Passion concerts in France with Leonardo García Alarcón, Bach’s B Minor Mass with the Gulbenkian Orchestra and Choir in Lisbon, Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro at the Stadttheater Klagenfurt and at the Staatsoper Hannover, Der Komponist in Ariadne auf Naxos at the Landestheater Detmold, Elisa in the Bononcini’s opera Astarto at the Innsbrucker Festwochen der Alten Musik, Angelina La Cenerentola at Royal Swedish Opera, Ozias Juditha Triumphans at the Théâtre du Champs-Elysées, and Eudossa Irene at the Theater an der Wien. 

In previous seasons she performed the role of Eustazio Rinaldo and Dorabella Così fan tutte at the Festival della valle d'Itria under the baton of Fabio Luisi, Goffredo Rinaldo in both Moscow and Vienna with Jean Christophe Spinosi’s Ensemble Matheus, Amenofi Mosè in Egitto at the Bregenzer Festspiele, Zweiter Dame Die Zauberflöte at the Theater Basel, Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia at the Bashmet Festival in Sochi. and her role debut as L’enfant in Ravel's L'enfant et les sortilèges at Opernhaus Zürich.

A part-time member of the ensemble of Theater Detmold through the 2018/19 season, she sang roles such as Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte, Nancy in Flotow's Martha, Hänsel in Hänsel und Gretel and Siebel in Gounod's Faust.  

She has captivated audiences in the title role of Carmen, one of her signature roles since Jean-Christophe Spinosi invited her for her debut on a tour in France, Spain and Russia.

Other roles include Pierotto in Linda di Chamounix and the title role of Carmen in Tartu, and the roles of Ino and Juno in Semele at the Beaune Baroque Opera Festival

In May 2021, she won the first prize in at the José Carreras Grand Prix of the Elena Obraztsova Foundation in Moscow. In 2019 she was a finalist and got the Special Prize at the International Singing Competition (CLIP) in Portofino, Italy.

Dara Savinova is a graduate of the Salzburg Mozarteum and speaks Estonian, Russian, English, German, Italian, French and Swedish.

She is based in Tallinn and in Stockholm

Reviews

“…a juicy voice…”

Dara Savinova clearly sings and plays Der Komponist, bringing a juicy voice with dark emotional colouring and clear diction
— Andreas Berger, Opera! (Ariadne auf Naxos 2022, Landestheater Detmold)

“the singing is refined and brilliant”

The Estonian mezzo-soprano Dara Savinova plays a royal Elise, the voice is beautiful, the singing is refined and brilliant, the actress elegant and communicative.
— Astarto, G.Bononcini, Innsbrucker Festwochen der Alte Musik, 2022

“…brilliant mezzo coloratura”

With brilliant mezzo colouratura, the blonde - somewhat reminiscent of Elina Garanca - Estonian Dara Savinova thrilled as Cenerentola
—Online Merker, November 2019 (La Cenerentola at the Royal Swedish Opera, 2019)

Artist Manager:
Stephen Svanholm
+46 738 777 631
stephen@svanholmartists.com